


An Open Letter to Smiley American Shop Workers

by yikesola



Series: Commissions [13]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2020, Established Relationship, M/M, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:22:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24845257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yikesola/pseuds/yikesola
Summary: It’s been almost an entire year since I saw any of you. And it’s been one heck of a year, huh. I thought we’d see each other before this.A ficlet about customer service and small talk.
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Series: Commissions [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1469918
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	An Open Letter to Smiley American Shop Workers

**Author's Note:**

> This was a commissioned piece for [letgladnessdwell](http://letgladnessdwell.tumblr.com/)💞

Hello from a whole hemisphere away! 

It’s been almost an entire year since I saw any of you. And it’s been one heck of a year, huh.

I thought we’d see each other before this. 

I thought I’d stop at a gas station and while whichever member of my family who actually knows how to drive fuels up, I would go inside to grab some American snacks and you’d smile at me behind the counter and say, “This all for you today, hun?” and your voice would be so nice and southern I would have to physically restrain myself from imitating it. Or I thought I’d stop at a mall because I didn’t pack enough shorts, and when you let me into the fitting room you’d smile that big American smile and say, “If you need anything, just holler!” as if I’d ever not feel so socially awkward that I could muster up a _holler_ for you while I’m trying on clothes. Or I thought I’d be checking out at the grocery store and all the many forbidden sugary processed delicious foods would have called out to me so your conveyor belt looks like a rainbow shrine to capitalism with the different packages, and you’d smile and ask me, “Find everything okay?” as if I actually need any of this food, let alone need any more. 

I miss it. I miss you. 

It’s the _exact_ right amount of small talk. And none of the shop workers over here do it in exactly the same way.

I know that it’s part of your job, to be so nice to me. I know that you’d have to whether you were having a bad day or not, and I do feel badly about that. But I’m self-indulgent. I like to be smiled at, I like to be treated nicely. And I hope I treat you just as nicely in return! It’s the least you deserve. 

Here’s hoping we see each other again soon. 

Phil

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading— come say hi on [tumblr](http://yikesola.tumblr.com/post/621562187294654464/an-open-letter-to-smiley-american-shop-workers) !  
> Inspiration from [this website](http://www.mcsweeneys.net/columns/open-letters-to-people-or-entities-who-are-unlikely-to-respond).


End file.
